On a night in which the Timberwolves reached 30 wins for the first time since Kevin Garnett was traded to Boston in 2007, point guard Ricky Rubio might have sent the NBA a message in regard to how teams defend him.

The Wolves didn't have Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Love, their primary scorers when healthy, so Rubio decided to become the top scoring option Saturday night, April 13, against Phoenix at Target Center.

Rubio took 18 shots and scored 24 points, both career highs, to spark the Wolves to a 105-93 victory that snapped a three-game losing streak and left them with a 30-50 record.

"Without Pek and Kevin, there were shots to take and I'm going to take them," Rubio said. "They were leaving me alone."

If Rubio shows he can consistently knock down shots, it could change the way teams defend him and make it easier for the talented playmaker to find teammates. Rubio said making teams respect his shooting continues to be one of his goals.

"I'm working on that, and I'm going to do it," Rubio said. "It takes time, but I won't stop working on it."

Rubio made 8 of 18 shots and finished with 10 assists, five steals and five rebounds. He became the fourth NBA player this season and only the third in Wolves history to finish a game with at least 20 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and five steals.

Terrell Brandon did it for the Wolves in 1999 and 2001, Garnett in 1999.

Rubio's steals helped the Wolves tie the club's single-game record with 17, the most by a Wolves team in Target Center.